New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Odyhermes’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Odyhermes’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; vigorous and freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; and large dark red-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Odyhermes’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Odyhermes’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new drought-tolerant New GuineaImpatiens cultivars with numerous large flowers and attractive foliageand flower coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in May, 2002, of a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeriidentified as code number 200024, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified ascode number 200142-01, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thecultivar Odyhermes was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in July, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings propagatedin a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since October,2003 has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Odyhermes has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Odyhermes’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Odyhermes’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofNew Guinea Impatiens:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous and freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth        habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Large dark red-colored flowers that are positioned above and        beyond the foliage.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Kwakel, The Netherlands,plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the female parentselection primarily in plant size as plants of the new Impatiens weremore compact than plants of the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Kwakel, The Netherlands,plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the male parentselection primarily in plant size and flower color as plants of the maleparent selection were larger and had dark purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the New GuineaImpatiens cultivar Martinique, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,149.In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Kwakel, The Netherlands,plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivarMartinique in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Martinique.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens flowered earlier than plants of        the cultivar Martinique.    -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Martinique        differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Martinique        had lighter red-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Impatiens. The photograph show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Odyhermes’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in De Kwakel, TheNetherlands during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and underconditions and practices which approximate those generally used incommercial New Guinea Impatiens production. During the production of theplants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levelsaveraged 220 Watts per square meter. Measurements and numerical valuesrepresent averages for typical flowering plants. Single plants weregrown in 13-cm pots and were about three months old when the photographand the detailed description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Odyhermes.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens            hawkeri identified as code number 200024, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens            hawkeri identified as code number 200142-01, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About eight to nine days at 18° C.            to 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 16 days at            18° C. to 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; white, close to 155D, in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form.—Upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant            habit.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous and freely branching            habit; about seven lateral branches developing at the base;            dense and bushy growth habit. Pinching, that is, removal of            the terminal apices, is typically not required, but will            enhance branching.        -   Plant height.—About 19 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 29 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Internode length: About 4 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to 183A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite or in whorls, simple.        -   Length.—About 10 cm.        -   Width.—About 3 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate with ciliation.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            137A; venation, 181D. Developing and fully expanded foliage,            lower surface: 137C; venation, 183C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: 181A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single axillary flowers.            Freely flowering habit; usually about four open flowers and            flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers positioned above the            foliage and typically face upright or outward. Flowers last            about ten days under greenhouse conditions. Petals            self-cleaning, gynoecium persistent. Flowers not fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse            conditions. In the garden, flowering from spring until fall            in The Netherlands. Plants begin flowering about ten weeks            after planting.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 6 cm. Height: About 5 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 61C.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower in a single            whorl. Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Obovate            to slightly cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Cuneate to            obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: 53A.            When opening, lower surface: 61C. Fully opened, upper            surface: 46B; color becoming closer to 45B with development.            Fully opened, lower surface: 63B.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Two, opposite; one modified            into an elongated spur. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About            5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 183A. Spur length:            About 5 cm. Spur diameter: At flower, about 1.3 mm; at apex,            about 1 mm. Spur texture: Smooth, glabrous. Spur color: 53A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:            About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to 183A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five fused at            anthers; filaments free. Anther length: About 5 mm. Anther            color: 4C blushed with 45C. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.            Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma            color: 155B. Style color: 155B. Ovary color: Close to 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to New Guinea    Impatiens.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from about 8° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Odyhermes’ asillustrated and described.